4/27/2010

Something just clicked; I wanted to re-sub for Warhammer Online.Possibly from enjoying T1 as a white lion, and noticing I couldn't do much else other than DOMINATE scenarios. It may have been because I wanted to join Ryelynn with my magus, that a favored class of mine was in need. That there were new areas to explore, new tome unlocks to discover and a possibly better conceived end-game to experience. I'm also very excited that my good friend Capo miraculously decided to re-sub as well =)

I came back to a familiar but shiny new place.

The War Report. Rocks. When you log in, you can see whats happening in the world and teleport to that area (once) instead of blindly going to an area of action, or having to ask on region chat where the action is. Note: if a keep is getting attacked, you won't get teleported inside or outside (if you're attacking it) the keep, but at the nearest warcamp.Ooo Shiny graphic mode. It's pretty. But slows down my computer.

Excited for a new castle seige mechanic. I remember the scene at the gates of Altdorf .. premade warbands, just waiting at the entrance.. and just waiting... and waiting.. and never seeing the light of end-game.

Good heals people. That is all.I missed doing pq's. And coordinated sc's.

I also came back to some disappointingly similar instances as well.

I dislike waiting. We waited at the southern most battlefield objective for 45 min as approximately three warbands waited for the Reikland zone lock.. just to be swept away by a large order wb. Sure I kept busy by cultivating, but gosh it was boring.. couldn't we do some pve/pq's to raise our VP's? And the order wb wasn't even 'that' big. Lack of courage and coordination. Maybe I was in the wrong warband. Maybe if you get beaten so many times, it hurts your psyche and you become resigned to your 'fate.' And maybe its just greed, people are playing for themselves, not for guild, not for realm. Just for the medallions to get better gear.

The question I pose: if you can't play properly, how will better gear help you? Better coordination and strategy should beat the zerg strategy (not necessarily zergs all the time). I want to flank my enemy, instead of just hiding in the keep. I want to have teams striking each zone's keeps to keep the enemy guessing instead having the illusion of staying protected in my zerg. I want tanks using the ram, people operating war machines, dps on posterns and healers are cool, b/c they heal great.

4/23/2010

Another [insert adjective] work week has passed by.. time for the weekend!

I love PlayStation's commercials, always creative and very funny.

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The new Left For Dead 2 DLC is available for download.http://kotaku.com/5521667/left-4-deads-survivor-party-isnt-going-so-wellCalled: The PassingCosts: 560 Microsoft Points (unconfirmed)Saw my brother playing it yesterday.. was busy making potatoe salad for a department pot luck, so I couldn't really pay attention. Next time he plays, I'll try to see if i can setup my camera to take some in-game shots.

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Finally after reading articles found on various blogs, you'll notice EQ2 offering a different payment option: 5$ for 3 consecutive days of gaming.At first you'll think: yuck, for 10 more dollars I can play as much as I like.But after some thought, its great for all the reasons explained on the website, mostly focused for casuals.A picture I took of some gargoyles on a church, once again Downtown Toronto

But lets get away from that (pros/cons) and lets talk about starting something else.Different ideas in regards to payment options:

Weekend Warrior Deal - 10$

Starting on Friday at 12 noon-unlimited play and access to accounts- no Tier restrictionsEnds Sunday Midnight - cx can dictate whether they want to operate on Easter/Pacific/European time, to coincide with playing with friends easier

This not only applies to EQ2, but to most mmos in general. Great for those who don't have the time throughout the week to play, and usually find time to play on weekends. It's a cheaper alternative and provides more playtime than just 3 out of 30 days. It'll be good for students who may can't control themselves throughout the week and hurt the wallet less as well.

Possible idea for Warhammer Online5$ for access up to T2 - unlimited days7.50$ for access up to T3 - same

I guess a person could do the endless trial to lvl 11, upgrade for 5$ to max out in T2, then pay a bit more for $7.50, and at that point one would really know whether they liked the game or not, and could upgrade to a full account or just the Weekend Warrior deal.

I'm still on the Endless Trial, its only been 2 days of coming back. I like the changes that i've read about and experienced and would like to join my friend Ryelyn on Ironrock again. 15$ a month though doesn't seem to be worthwhile though as I find so little time these days when I have to maintain 2 blogs, take photos, edit them and everything else.

With these different pay plans, i'd totally utilize it. People get to save money, play the game as much as they like and in the way they want to. Mythic gets money.. everyone seems to win.

4/21/2010

Here are two more photos from a past excursion in downtown TorontoPlayed around with the black and white, contrast and grayscale of the Steamwhistle Brewery with the condos in the background (there are tons of condos downtown now)The main street that stretches on the lakeshore is called Front street and they apparently had some artistic people that didn't like flat piers/docks ;)

Its all over the blogosphere, but here's what Mythic put out today in regards to the billing error that affect many players recently:

Over the past 15 years we have always strived to do what’s best for our players. We are truly sorry, and want to work to make things right and restore our relationship. We hope you will accept this small token of our appreciation for your continued commitment to our games:

For starters all players will earn 100% bonus experience and renown when killing enemies and monsters for two weeks. As well, during this time we’ll be hard at work designing and implementing a special vendor. This vendor will only accept special tokens that will be sent to your mailbox, using these two tokens each of your characters will be able to receive two of the following items:Bottomless Chaos Black DyeBottomless Skull White DyeImperial Griffon Mount (Order)Enslaved Manticore Mount (Destruction)WAR Tract – earn a free levelChoose from any of these pets – Order: Imperial Hunting Hound or Dwarf Keg Handler; Destruction: Warlord’s Fell Hound or the Goblin Bar-Back.Change your appearance with any of these illusion items: Skaven Skin Cloak (skaven), Kossar’s Helm (bear), or the Signet of the Cursed Company (skeleton)

Please accept this gesture as a step towards rebuilding our relationship. From all of us at Mythic, we thank you for your time, your commitment, and your trust that helps us to make great games year after year.

It's purely coincidental that I started up the Warhammer Endless Trial and initiated a 1.4gig patch, the same day there is news of Mythic's letter in the herald of the billing fiasco. I've always had an itch to play my White Lion character; it was one of the last characters I played before I deactivated my account since everyone I knew stopped playing. I love the art and concept of the class (melee dps with evolving pet) so much, that I keep a picture as my cell phone wallpaper (along with a squig herder).I've always loved Warhammer, the game, and Mythic the company; its a great game with it's own unique issues due to it's own attempt at a new player experience (orvr, castle seige mechanic, 24 class balance). Mythic always seemed to have great interest in their community and even though there were great hurdles in the game, the company did and continues to do it's best to show they're trying, taking our feedback and that they're worthy of our hard-earned subscription dollars.

4/20/2010

And here is another photo I took..This is the end of one of the major streets in Toronto's downtown district, called Spadina. I took at the end of the street right at the waterfront and was able to capture that man right in the middle. =)

4/18/2010

I never like to hear my favorite game trashed, hence the insertion of good points of the game.. just not a traditional FF game-fan I supposeFor lovers of the FF series, I guess you may still love it for the IP.. but as i've read and talked to some hardcore fans, the IP isn't everything.

Sometimes the game is extremely hard (see: eidlon/summoned monster fights).. and others, one wonders why they even put the trash monsters there.Maybe its because i've never played a true FF game and Tactics 2 is vastly different, or maybe like i've read, its a vastly different game. Either way I don't like the game.It hurts so much to play...

It seems too long with too little substance; its alot of walking on a fixed path. Alot of storyline but by being forced to play each character, you don't really feel attached to anyone.

The tutorials suck for first-timers. Something about a Gestalt-gauge, TP, l'Cie, Fal'Cie...makes my mind spin.- atleast there is a tome of knowledge that constantly updates.....

I dislike the 1-weapon, 1-accessory design and wish it was much more robust instead of a crafting system where you can upgrade the weapon/accessory via the items you pick up through chests/monster loot.- granted there are not too many rpg systems that upgrade gear this way; ususally its via replacementSend me to the salt mines, just don't make me play anymore... i'll be good. Promise.

I don't like some of the characters(ie. Hope).. maybe its the japanese design.. but he's just so wimpy.-but I love other characters like Lightning, gorgeous, smart, bold and fearless

I still love the graphics, they're fantastic and whimsical. I can't think of a game with better graphics, better than Uncharted 2 or.. Battlefield 2.

4/15/2010

This message is brought to you by Baconnaisetaste the only important flavor: bacon

Its funny how people are crying for blood in the streets in the Warhammer billing fiasco and they demand closed beta spots or future company-related products or paraphanelia from said company. My favorite: endless free subscription. Riiiiiight.

What do you hate? The experience, the inconvenience, the game, the product, the genre type, the company? One, some or all of the above.

If its even one, why do you demand more from the same company; granted the company will try its darndest to do better, but its almost near certain something like this could happen again in the future. When it happens, are you going to ask for the next-big-game that EA is working on?

If you really hated it, why continue to support the company? I guess we're just hopeless romantics.

4/14/2010

There are alot of upset people thanks to the WAR billing issue/fiasco.And I totally understand how that can be a huge inconvenience and that they're super upset about it and (I imagine) threatening that this broke the camel's back and are closing their accounts.I used to play (the horrible) Shadowbane and when I cancelled my account, Ubisoft still continued to charge my account.. and I've had a love-hate relationship ever since (love the games like HoMM series, but hate and remember what happened with Shadowbane).

I don't know how people will handle this issue with Mythic.. maybe this is the end?They did announce new expansion content.. but if you have no/very low player-base, will they continue it?

I always feel like our society is becoming one of entitled children or like they used-to describe it in China, Little Buddha's/Emperors. We feel entitled to anything and everything in life, and if we don't get it, we whine, cry, threaten and shout: sue sue sue! until we get our way. And to make matters worse, to retain their customers, these companies usually bend over backwards (remember the Left for Dead 2 boycotters). This just reinforces the way of thinking that if I QQ enough, ill get my way.

Once again, I understand and been through the same hardships when there has been a major billing error and know this won't be the last one **knock on wood**, but I feel there is alot of EXTRA QQing and the need to be compensated at a high degree. Yes, fix it. Yes acknowledge it was a major error and appologize profusely. Yes do something to show that you appreciate your fanbase and their patience. But stop asking for more than is necessary. It's like nails on a blackboard (just thinking about it makes me cringe).Just like server patches that require unforeseen downtime, or a delayed shipment of a game **cough cough Nintendo Wiis cough**.. we are crying bloody murder and demand satisfaction! Gaming for me provides the most effective form of stress relief with blogging\exercise a distant second, but it should never be the sole form of relief. And yes: you are paying monthly for a service, so it should always be available... BUT only to a certain extent; we have to be aware that there will be unforseen system issues that causes downtimes. There is far too much emphasis on games on what one's life revolves around. I generally find time to play every day (as a stress relief), but sometimes time doesn't permit or something just craps out, and I end up doing something else such as blogging, or exercising, reading, photography, etc etc.

4/13/2010

I wasn't paying attention, but I've apparently surpassed a set milestone of 100 entries earlier this year, so I figured we can celebrate my 150th instead, cake and kahlua for everyone!Its interesting at looking back at what i've written. I'm extremely proud of the site and love the blogging community and found that blogging is my passion, with this first entryquote being the heart of what my blog is about://At one employee meeting, there was an anonymous comment that everyone was up in arms about (that they disagreed with). I couldn't stand it.

"Hey guys, first off, I'm not the person that wrote that."/everyone laughs"But why not try looking at it as ____________ ?"/some agree and the tense situation is averted

I've found that my site has grown and developed from a tome unlock help guide to a diaspora of:

4/11/2010

It feels like a long time, but its only been a few days (since my last entry), but I haven't been playing too much these days on either the pc or the 360. I've been consumed with photography and learning the ins and outs of Adobe Lightroom. Here is one photo I took from downtown Toronto.With the recent lack of games, I bought two games this weekend; one with my gf at EB: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. If you're looking for the dlc, its not there. Apparently they took it off the market due to lack of interest (???) and was a 'limited time offer.' Right. That just sounds like you didn't sell as much DLC as you liked and now you're sulking. Oh well, no extra money for you.My gf loves Storm.. which doesn't work well with my Gambit. I like to pick up anything and everything and throw it with charged energy at enemies. She will constantly use high velocity winds and break anything I can normally pick up and throw! ;)

I also found a rare gem on the game marketplace on the 360: Age of Booty.Not that.But a real time cooperative & competitive PIRATE strategy game.[Only 400 ms points]All it needs is ninjas.The main gist of the game is, use your pirate ship to take control of towns or pillage villages for resources and control X amt of towns or have the most when time expires. All the while, you are competing against other pirates who are trying to get those same resources. You can upgrade your towns or ships with the resources you collect and its a fine line to determine which one is better at which time. Good in-game pics to come.

4/08/2010

The mmo's i'm looking at these days Darkfall and Mortal Online seem to be going for a more realistic feel; a more in your shoes attempt a la first person view. I wonder from the screens I saw in the most recent Mortal Online video whether it is fully in first person view or not. I like FPS such as Borderlands (woo!) and they are great in rpgs such as old favorites like Elder Scrolls: Eye of the Beholder, and it even worked well in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.But an mmo, fully in first person view? I'm not too sure on that.

Games such as Dragon Age: Origins, Neverwinter Nights and even Mass Effect needs a different camera angle to fully view and experience the game (hence why I got DA:O for high overhead camera angle), and would be a travesty if they were only captured via first-person view.

I like to look at how my character looks by itself, or with the landscape, or in relation to everything else in the game. Though I played Oblivion mostly in first person view, when it came to melee fighting I thought it was best to play in third person view to see what was around me. Casting and archery was best in first person view as you were more accurate. Oblivion didn't seem to have as many traps as you'd think, but that and jumping puzzles make 3rd person view essential (for proper footing). Not as 'realistic' but it was more fun.

4/06/2010

Another case of possibly not following through on which was originally a good idea, that poorly presented and implemented is just seen in the negative light. In short, problems will be represented by a group of 'vocal' players in STO and the chosen seemed to favor certain groups.Usually I've found the vocal are the minority..The fan boys, the ones that are never satisfied..That it is their entitlement, their god-given right to have what they want, when they want (reminds me of work)… which is always now.

And now, you're given the baby the bottleRight.Not the smartest thing in my mind.

From a business perspective though, is it a good idea?Alienate one of two groups, b/c one can rarely appease both.Appease the casuals which is a far greater player base, but includes the fickle and tourists who easily find faults and compares easily to their favorites.Appease the hardcore which are a small but relatively loyal group; problem is, they're extremely loud and generally feel to be entitled .. they do have the clout and fanaticism to bring in their friends and guilds who will be a steady stream of income, but when they lose interest, they will probably bring that same group away with them.

4/05/2010

Now that April Fool's Day is out of the way, we can blog and not have to think about whether the source is true or not :P

Pretty cool vid; never been much of a Ghost Recon/Rainbow Six fan. I've watched my brother play other other series and it seemed too tactical (see: slow) and not as fluid as Modern Warfare2 or Borderlands.